Winter preparations at the Crofthouse Museum

Every April, the crofthouse, byre, and barn undergo a thorough spring cleaning in preparation for their public opening in May. Once the spiders have been evicted, the objects from the crofthouse collection are retrieved from storage in Lerwick and returned to their rightful places. They can then be enjoyed by the visitors, and are often used by our Custodian to help explain more about what life would have been like in rural Shetland in the late 19^th century.

Picture caption: Shappin trees (for mashing tatties); butter pats; spoon mould for shaping horn spoons; horn spoons and cup; rolling pin

In October, the process is reversed as the artefacts from the Crofthouse Museum are carefully packed and transported back to their winter home in the Museum Store. Some items, especially those made from soft wood, straw, or textiles, are wrapped and frozen as a precaution against pests like moths or woodworm. After being removed from the freezer, these objects, along with other artefacts such as crockery and ornaments, undergo a condition check. Some items require just a light cleaning, while others need a bit more TLC before being prepared for 'hibernation.' They are then packed and stored with the other objects in the Shetland Museum’s collection that are not on display year-round ready for next Spring.

Picture captions (L-R)
1. The Crofthouse Museum ‘American’ clock receiving some preventative conservation before winter storage. The clock was made by the Forestville Clock Company of Connecticut, which traded from the 1830s until the mid-1850s.
2. Storing items from the Crofthouse Museum for the winter.
3. Wooden pails
4. Artefacts from the Crofthouse Museum are carefully packed and transported back to their winter home in the Museum Store

Picture above: One of our Crofthouse Museum custodians explaining crofting life in the 19th century